8 months
Eight months: on the move
Creeping, crawling, pulling up and suddenly shy with strangers.
Many eight-month-olds start moving across the room by creeping, crawling or rolling, and some pull themselves up to stand. Stranger anxiety is a healthy sign of attachment, not bad manners.
Growth
Weight
7.5–10.2 kg
Length
68–75 cm
Typical range; your paediatrician tracks your baby on a growth chart. Growth is slower than in the first months, and a busier baby may gain a little less.
What your baby is learning
- Many babies pivot, creep on the tummy or crawl on hands and knees; some skip crawling and shuffle on their bottom, which is also normal.
- Holding on to the sofa or your hands, your baby pulls up to kneel or stand and bounces on strong legs.
- The pincer grasp is developing: thumb and finger start to pick up small pieces of food.
- Stranger anxiety appears: your baby clings to you and cries with unfamiliar people, and may protest when you leave the room.
- Your baby waves bye-bye or copies a clap, babbles long strings such as "bababa" and "dadada", and loves repeating the same game.
Feeding
- Three meals a day plus breastfeeding or formula is typical; let your baby decide how much to eat and never force spoonfuls.
- Add soft finger foods: steamed carrot sticks, banana, soft bread, well-cooked pasta, small pieces of soft meat. Mashed and lumpy textures matter now for learning to chew.
- Avoid choking hazards: whole grapes, nuts, seeds, hard raw vegetables, popcorn and round pieces of sausage. Cut grapes lengthways into quarters and always sit with your baby while eating.
- Give water from a cup with meals; still no tea, juice, honey, salt or sugar.
Sleep
Around 12–15 hours including two naps. A sleep regression is common at 8–10 months: new skills and separation anxiety make babies wake and cry for you. Respond calmly, keep the routine, and it usually passes within a few weeks.
Check-ups and vaccines
- Eight-month check-up with your paediatrician or patronage nurse: growth, movement and a look at how finger foods are going. No vaccines are due this month.
- Ask whether your baby needs a blood test for iron-deficiency anaemia; it is commonly checked between 9 and 12 months, and earlier if your baby was premature or small at birth.
- A mobile baby and hot tea do not mix: keep cups, teapots and the kettle away from table edges and never carry hot drinks while holding your baby.
Play and everyday tips
- Clear a safe floor space with cushions to climb over; crawling in all directions builds strength and coordination.
- Stacking cups, boxes with lids and a basket of safe kitchen items (wooden spoon, plastic bowl) are the best toys at this age.
- Hide a toy under a cloth and let your baby find it; read picture books daily, pointing at and naming objects.
- Home safety now: stair gates, socket covers, locks on cupboards with medicines and cleaning products, cords and small objects out of reach, and windows and balcony doors that a baby cannot reach.
Call the doctor or 103 if
- Fever of 39 °C or higher, any fever lasting more than three days, or a fever with a stiff neck or a rash that does not fade under pressure.
- Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or long pauses in breathing.
- Signs of dehydration during diarrhoea or vomiting: fewer wet nappies, dry mouth, sunken eyes, drowsiness.
- Developmental: not sitting even with support, not bearing any weight on the legs when held, not babbling, or losing skills already gained. Tell your paediatrician.
- A seizure, a fall from a height followed by vomiting or sleepiness, or a baby who is very hard to wake: call 103 or go to the polyclinic/hospital.
Trust your instinct. If your baby seems unwell to you, call 103 or go to the polyclinic.
Monthly updates in Telegram
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